Ukrainian drones targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter during his recent visit to the disputed Kursk region last week, the Kremlin has admitted. Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defense unit, said on Sunday that Putin’s helicopter came under attack from Kyiv’s drone strike while he was touring the reclaimed Russian territory on May 20, according to state news outlet TASS.
Dashkin said that the helicopter was “virtually at the epicenter of repelling a large-scale attack by the enemy’s drones.” “Therefore, we simultaneously conducted an air defense battle and ensured the safety of the presidential helicopter’s flight in the air,” he said explaining the near-fatal attack on the Russian premier.
Putin’s Helicopter Under Attack
X
News of the attempted attack came shortly before Russia carried out its largest drone and missile strike on Ukraine to date — an action that drew criticism from President Trump. He warned that any attempt by Putin to take full control of Ukraine would result in Russia’s “downfall.”
He also took aim at Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a post shared Sunday night on Truth Social. “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
X
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
Earlier on Sunday, the U.S. President expressed his surprise to reporters over Vladimir Putin’s decision to escalate attacks on Ukrainian cities, especially after his own attempts to negotiate a ceasefire.
When asked whether he was now seriously thinking about imposing more sanctions on Russia, Trump responded, “Absolutely. He’s killing a lot of people. What the hell happened to him?”
X
Later that night, in a post on Truth Social, Trump also took a jab at Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, saying he was “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.” “Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.”
Zelensky Infuriates Trump
Earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy condemned the “silence of America” following Russia’s largest air strike in three years of conflict. The second consecutive night of heavy drone and ballistic missile attacks left at least 12 people dead, including three children, between Saturday night and Sunday.
“Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia,” Ukraine’s president said.
Suring his campaign for presidency, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could bring the war in Ukraine to an end within 24 hours—even before officially taking office.
However, the scale and intensity of this weekend’s Russian attacks stood in stark contrast to Trump’s earlier claims that Putin was seeking peace.
As a result of the bombardment, Kyiv Day—traditionally observed on the final Sunday of May—began with weary residents taking cover in bunkers, subway stations, and underground shelters.
Ukraine and its European partners have been pushing for a 30-day ceasefire as an initial step toward broader peace talks. However, in a setback to those efforts, Trump refused this week to impose more sanctions on Moscow for rejecting an immediate halt to hostilities, as Ukraine had requested.
